Flight, May 1924

THE FIAT "C.R.," "R.S." AND "B.R." BIPLANES

   WE give below some brief particulars of three recent Italian biplanes constructed by the Fiat Co., of Turin. All three are military machines possessing more or less distinctive features.
   The Fiat "C.R." is a single seater fighter, having a 300 h.p. Hispano-Suiza type 42 engine, fitted with two machine guns firing forward through the air screw. The principal features of this machine are its high speed, ease of control, manoeuvrability and, owing to the wing arrangement, good visibility.
   Perhaps the most distinctive characteristic of the "C.R." is the arrangement of the wings. As may be seen from the accompanying illustration, the top plane is of shorter span than the lower plane in' addition to being staggered forward 15°. Both, however, are of the same chord. Upper and lower planes are in two sections, the two upper ones being joined at the centre to short cabanes on the top of the fuselage, and the lower ones being attached direct to the lower longerons of the fuselage. A small service petrol tank is mounted in between the junction of the upper plane sections. Ailerons are fitted to the lower planes only, and these are of the unbalanced type, hinged to the rear spars of the plane.
   The outer wing bracing is of the rigid triangular, or Warren, type, consisting of three pairs of oval-section steel interplane struts each side of the fuselage and two "N's," also of steel tube, from the fuselage itself. The only external wire bracing employed in the wing cellule is to be found in the incidence wires between the outer struts. There is no dihedral angle to the upper plane, but the lower is set at about 2 1/2°.
   The horizontal stabilizer, of triangular plan form, is of somewhat small dimensions, and is mounted well above the line of thrust. To it is hinged divided elevators, while the rudder is hinged to the triangular vertical fin mounted on the top of the fuselage; both rudder and elevators are unbalanced.
   Of excellent streamline form, the fuselage is a combination of metal and wood construction. It is of rectangular section, with rounded top, tapering from a fairly deep section at the pilot's cockpit to a vertical knife-edge at the rear. The pilot's cockpit is located at the trailing edge of the top plane, the pilot's forward line of vision being slightly below the level of the top plane. A streamline fairing is provided behind the pilot's head.
   The engine, a 300 h.p. type 42 Hispano-Suiza, is neatly streamlined, being totally enclosed by an aluminium cowling. A gilled tube radiator is mounted in the nose of the fuselage. A more or less conventional undercarriage of the V-divided axle type is employed, the chassis consisting of three V's, one from the centre of the axle and the others from the ends of the axle.
   The principal characteristics of the "C.R” are as follows:
   Span (top) 24 ft. 0 ins.
   Span (bottom) 29 ft. 4 ins.
   O.A. length. 20 ft. 2 ins.
   Height 7 ft. 9 ins.
   Chord 5 ft. 0 ins.
   Wing area 248 sq. ft.
   Weight, empty 1,720 lbs.
   Weight fully loaded 458-5 lbs.
   Useful load* 738-5 lbs.
   Weight per square foot 9-8 lbs.
   Weight per h.p. 7-7 lbs.
   Safety factor 12-5
   Speed (ground level) 173 m.p.h.
   Speed at 6,500 ft. 170-5 m.p.h.
   Climb to 16,400 ft. 15 mins.
   Ceiling 24,900 ft.
   Endurance 2hrs. 30 mins.
* Petrol, 330 lbs.; oil, 44 lbs.; pilot and instruments, 187-4 lbs.; armament, 132-5 lbs.; aerial camera, etc., 44 lbs.
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